| Connect the Dots! Your Roadmap for
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| | want to feel "safe." How many times have
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| Success
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| | you heard the following?
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| By Ed Sykes
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| | "I'm never dating again because of my
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| Search Engine Marketing Specialist
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| | past experiences with..."
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| Since 1995 SEO/SEM tools, training, and
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| | "I don't want to take on the new project
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| professional "full service" Search Engine
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| | because it is too high profile and I
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| Marketing help at very affordable rates.
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| | might fail."
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| Recently, Steve Jobs, founder of Apple
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| | "I don't want the promotion because of
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| Computer and Pixar Animation Studios,
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| | what happened the last time..."
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| gave a commencement address to the
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| | Basing our past experiences on life's
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| graduating class at Stanford University.
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| | variables that have no relation to the
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| He talked about creating passion, life
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| | present will make us miss new
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| and death, and "connecting the dots."
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| | opportunities. There is an expression I
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| The dots were events in his life, many
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| | often use, "You need to go through the
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| challenging and many positive, which led
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| | mud to get to the gold." In other words,
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| to his many successes. He shared with
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| | we all need to experience the "road
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| the audience that being fired from Apple
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| | bumps" in life to know and appreciate the
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| Computer, the computer he founded, he was
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| | real opportunities in life.
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| able to step back and develop the idea
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| for Pixar Animation Studios. By
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| | 1. Accelerate the Dots in Your Life
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| achieving the great success at Pixar, he
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| | You can speed the amount of success by
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| was eventually asked to come back to lead
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| | continuously learning. Continuously work
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| Apple Computer. This eventually led him
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| | on your communication, career or
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| to spearhead the launching of one the
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| | business, and technical skills so that
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| most revolutionary products of the 21st
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| | you can embrace opportunities that come
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| century...the iPod. He feels that he
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| | your way.
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| would never have achieved his successes
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| | One of the best ways to learn is by
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| without his failures and setbacks. He
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| | volunteering. I recently had lunch with
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| was able to connect the dots to see how
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| | Carol at a recent conference. She shared
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| it all added up.
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| | with me that she had started working in a
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| So I ask you, "Have you connected your
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| | school over fifteen years ago because her
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| dots?"
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| | kids were in the school system. Because
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| Here are five reasons why taking the time
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| | of that, she volunteered for as many
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| to connect the dots will give you a
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| | school-related activities as possible
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| roadmap for success in your life:
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| | that would involve her kids. She became
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|
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| | an expert and the person to go to
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| 1. All Dots are Good
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| | concerning many school subjects.
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| Many times we face challenges in our life
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| | Recently, an opening in the
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| that, at that moment, look like failures.
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| | superintendent's office came up, and her
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| Because we are focused on the imagined
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| | name was on the short list. Because of
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| "downside" of the challenge, we lose
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| | her vast experience and, even more
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| focus on the good that can come out of
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| | important, because many people knew of
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| the challenge.
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| | her expertise, she was an easy decision
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| I had an ex-Navy civilian in one of my
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| | for the position.
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| workshops on downsizing. He said he was
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| | Learning accelerates your dots.
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| part of a downsizing process by the Navy
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| two years ago in Ohio. You can imagine
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| | 1. Bypass Dots Only with Wisdom
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| he was hurt, upset, and concerned that he
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| | Many times we try to skip a step or two
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| wouldn't find another job after his
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| | in life. We have heard about people who
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| twenty years in the Navy. Then he
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| | have "instant" success and then lose it
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| refocused himself on what he could do to
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| | all almost as fast. They never acquired
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| make this situation positive. He started
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| | the wisdom needed to maintain their
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| doing job research, making telephone
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| | success.
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| calls, networking, and sending resumes.
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| | Take time to learn from the events in
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| Within three months after his layoff, he
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| | your life. Like the quote goes, "Smart
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| received his dream job offer from the
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| | people learn from their mistakes; truly
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| Navy. It was a technical job he always
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| | wise people learn from other people's
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| wanted at a pay scale much better than
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| | mistakes."
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| his previous job. The best part of his
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| | 1. Go Forward and Connect the Dots
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| new job was that it allowed him to move
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| | Take time to plan your future events and
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| back to his hometown of Virginia Beach.
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| | goals based on your past events. Analyze
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| All dots are good; it's the way we look
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| | the positive outcomes from those events
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| at them that lead to our success.
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| | and use them to plan for the future.
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| | That is the secret to true success.
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| 1. Be Willing to Go to the Next Dot
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| | So go forward and connect the dots, and
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| Due to past "negative" experiences, many
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| | you will realize your roadmap to success.
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| times we avoid new challenges because we
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